HARD TIMES OHIOWe could use a boost

A job doesn't always mean a living. We need policy that responds to a low wage/high cost economy.

Too many jobs today don’t pay enough for the basics -- food, transportation, repairs, and more. Housing costs, for example, are out of reach for nearly one third of all Ohio renters. Jobs must pay $13.84/hour in Ohio to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at fair market rent. Minimum wage in Ohio is $7.95. Here’s the truth: It’s hard times in Ohio when fulltime jobs pay so little that workers qualify for food stamps; when jobs don’t pay enough for workers to afford the basics like food and doctor visits. These are economy busting jobs and our policies can do a lot to ensure workers are doing well enough to afford the basics - supporting our economy and making communities better for all of us.We need public policies that reduce instead of increase barriers to opportunity; policies that build up instead of tear down; and policies that recognize that changes in the economy have pushed more than a million Ohioans into economic crisis. Welcome to Hard Times Ohio, where we’re calling for state policies that boost, not bust Ohio’s families and communities.

A project of the Coalition On Homelessness and Housing In Ohio175 South Third St Suite 250Columbus OH 43215hardtimesoh@cohhio.org